During its Editors Day event last Tuesday, Nvidia team members highlighted a useful utility that will aid developers in identifying the causes of specific in-game crashes and app slowdowns using a crowdsourced data collection method to identify their root causes by location and type.

Nvidia Aftermath is the newest member of the company’s game developer arsenal that will drop breadcrumbs of information and evidence of exactly where and when a crash occurs onto a GPU timeline to determine what work it was doing prior to a system freeze or reboot. It also features the ability to request the current device state, and then place this data into a log file for error analysis and diagnostics.

Enables collective error reporting from players on behalf of developers

The idea is to bundle this developer utility with as many currently shipping games as possible to allow game players to upload their Aftermath logs to game developers. While the concept sounds very similar to Microsoft’s built-in Windows Error Reporting mechanisms, the company says that Aftermath’s low-performance footprint is apparently low enough to be “measured in the noise” – or the collective breadcrumb data it gathers into the log file. At this point, it is unclear whether the API will be integrated into upcoming Geforce driver versions or will be implemented as a service that runs alongside any open game runtime environment.

The company is working closely with Microsoft to standardize this with DirectX 12, which it hopes will gain more developer momentum after the release of its latest GameWorks software packages adding full support for highly asynchronous, non-graphics workloads including particle simulations. The utility will be available on Nvidia’s developer website within a couple of weeks.

DirectX 12 support comes to GameWorks, VRWorks software suites

Nvidia says that its path to game optimization starts with the game developers at the top, followed by the release of developer toolkits, and then the driver team and the architecture team. This is the order of emphasis it has been using to optimize its driver releases most effectively.

On Wednesday, it announced several new resources to its GameWorks software suite, including support for DirectX 12 to unify both graphics and simulation. While support for the latest API comes nearly a year and a half after the initial release of Windows 10 in July 2015, developers have been mainly limited in their use of non-graphical simulations because most games can only allocate a few milliseconds to run each type of effect while delivering smooth gameplay.

Nvidia Flow 1.0

Flow 1.0 is a new visual effects library supporting both DirectX 12 and DirectX 11 that provides simulation and volume rendering of dynamic, combustible fluid, fire and smoke. The fluid simulations are modeled on a dynamic grid for maximum flexibility with the least memory impact. It offers several sample effects to explore Flow behavior where users can learn about adjustable parameters and control particle simulations. It is very reminiscent of the PhysX 3 Fluid Simulation Demo from about five years ago, though offers much more granularity of controls

Nvidia Flex 1.1

FleX 1.1 is a DirectX 12 compute technique that generates unified particle-based simulations for real-time visual effects. In the past, some industry-specific apps such as Autodesk Maya’s nCloth and Softimage’s Lagoa were used for simulating several particle-intense substances offline away from the cloud. The goal with Flex is to enable different simulated substances to interact with each other seamlessly and in real-time.

Both applications are available immediately for registered developers.

DirectX 12 comes to virtual reality developers in VRWorks

The company is also releasing a DirectX 12 optimized version of VRWorks for head mounted displays that now allows developers to achieve better performance, lower latency, and plug-and-play compatibility. The new version of the software suite will be supported in the Unity 2017.1 beta which arrives in Spring with the first Unreal Engine 4 games.

Bethesda has released a new 1.3 Beta update for Fallout 4 fixing quite a few gameplay, quest and workshop fixes but also adds some new features including support for a few more Nvidia GameWorks effects, including Flex and HBAO+.

According to the release notes from the Fallout 4 1.3 Beta update which is now available for Steam users, the game will now support GameWorks FleX, which is a particle based simulation technique for real-time visual effects and usually used for debris effects, or in Fallout 4 case, weapon debris effects that will only be available on certain Nvidia Geforce graphics cards.

The new Fallout 4 1.3 Beta update also adds the HBAO+, a realistic Ambient Occlusion shadowing around objects and surfaces and it should work on both Nvidia Geforce and AMD Radeon GPUs.

In case you missed it, Nvidia Volumetric Lightning was already available in Fallout 4 when game launched.

Sapphire has added yet another graphics card to its Flex lineup, the HD 7870 Flex Edition. Featuring support for up to four displays, the Flex Edition can do multiple screen Eyefinity without the need for expensive active DisplayPort adapters by simply using DVI and HDMI ports.

The new Sapphire HD 7870 Flex Edition supports up to four screens via two DVI, one HDMI and, of course, DisplayPort output. Spec wise, the HD 7870 Flex Edition is based on AMD's 28nm GCN architecture Pitcairn XT GPU with 1280 stream processors, works at 1000MHz for the GPU and feature 2GB of GDDR5 memory clocked at 1200MHz (4.8GHz effective) on a 256-bit memory interface.

The new HD 7870 Flex Edition is paired up with Sapphire's quite well known Dual-X Cooler that should keep the temps of the entire board well at bay. The new graphics card also features dual-BIOS and additional overclocking, voltage adjustment and fan speed control via Sapphire's TriXX software.

The new Sapphire HD 7870 Flex Edition is already listed in Europe with a price of around €320 depending on the region.

Sapphire has let loose yet another card that will be a part of its HD 6900 series lineup, the Sapphire Radeon HD 6970 Battlefield 3 Special Edition. Obviously bundled with a Battlefield 3 title, the new card will feature both Sapphire's Flex technology and its praised Vapor-X cooler.

The new HD 6970 from Sapphire still has 1536 Stream Processors and works at 880MHz for the GPU and 5500MHz for 2GB of GDDR5 memory paired up with a 256-bit memory interface. In order to make this card a bit more interesting, Sapphire has also included the dual-BIOS switch that pushes the GPU clock up to 930MHz.

As noted, the card features Sapphire's FleX technology, which means that you'll be able to hook it up to three DVI monitors (third via supplied HDMI to DVI cable) for some Eyefinity fun, and all without those special adapters. This time around, Sapphire has decided to use its, quite well famous, dual-slot Vapor-X cooler that should keep the card well cooled inside mostly any case.

The card features two DVI, HDMI and two mini Displayport outputs and, as noted, will be shipped bundled with Dice's Battlefield 3 title. Unfortunately, the price or the actual availability date haven't been mentioned, but we'll keep an eye out for this one.

Radeon HD 5770 Flex Edition is a graphics card for multi-display solutions. Namely, the card allows for connecting three displays without using DisplayPort or active adapter, or four displays if one o them supports DisplayPort.

AMD recently renamed the HD 5700 series to HD 6700. As usual, there were no significant changes other than the name, although the “new” series did get HDMI 1.4a and Blu-ray 3D support.

Apart from the HD 5770 Flex Edition, Sapphire also offers HD 6770 Flex Edition, although there’s almost no difference between them.

If you’re looking for an affordable card that will allow for four displays at the same time, then you’ll definitely like Sapphire’s HD 5770/6770 Flex Edition. However, four-display gaming is not quite a walk in the park and you you’ll need a faster card for that purpose.

HD 5770 Flex Edition is available for less than €100, whereas HD 6770 Flex Edition will cost you about €108, here and here.

SAPPHIRE Flex Technology supports 3 displays without the requirement of DisplayPort monitors or Active DP adapters, and can support up to 4 displays with the use of a DisplayPort monitor or Active adapter.

Sapphire HD 5770 Flex Edition comes with non-reference cooling that’s pretty quiet during operation. The card is almost 19cm long and, as you can see from the picture, the cooler takes up two slots.

You’ll find a large heatsink with two heatpipes underneath the fan. These pipes start directly above the GPU and end up on the opposite ends of the heatsink. The heatpipes are 8mm ones and they do a good job in transferring heat.

You can see the memory through the heatsink. The memory is cooled only by air from the fan, which is usual for entry level and mid-range products.

Sapphire HD 5770 Flex Edition offers a plethora of video outs. The card comes with two DVI outs - one dual-link DVI with 2560x1600 support and a single-link DVI with 1920x1200 support. Note that the single-link DVI is painted grey for easier recognition. DisplayPort also supports 2560x1600 so users can go for two 2560x1600 displays.

Sapphire HD 5770 Flex Edition is unique in a way where it supports three displays using only DVI and HDMI connectors. This should be pretty handy as the third display on AMD’s cards previously required either active DisplayPort adapter or an actual DisplayPort display. If you decide to use the HD 5770 Flex Edition’s included DisplayPort however, then you can use up to four displays.

The card comes with two CrossFire connectors and is powered via a single 6-pin power connector.

3DMark 2011

3DMark vantage

Aliens vs Predator

Dirt2

Metro 2033

Unigine heaven

Users who use only two displays will be just fine with a reference HD 5770, but if you're keen to add a third one and don't feel like splashing out on a DisplayPort display, then Sapphire HD 5770 Flex Edition is a card you've been looking for.

Sapphire HD 5770 Flex Edition has a unique capability to run three DVI displays out of the box. All you need to do is install drivers and there's no need for DisplayPort displays or active DisplayPort converters. Standard HD 5770 cards will support a maximum of three displays (provided one of them is DisplayPort) whereas HD 5770 Flex allows for four, where the fourth display must be a DisplayPort one.

Four displays will require two standard HD 5770 cards in CrossFire. Note however that you can only use DisplayPort on the second card.

We tested with three DVI displays (one via HDMI) and had no trouble whatsoever. AMD Catalyst Control Center is very helpful when it comes to configuring multi-display setups.

Overclocking

Sapphire HD 5770 Flex Edition runs at reference clocks. Our overclocking attempt stopped at 960MHz for the GPU and 1360MHz, which increased 3DMark Vantage results by up to 10%.

Thermals and Noise

Idle teperature was at about 42 degrees Celsius, while intensive operation pushed it to about 70 degrees Celsius. This is within acceptable values. The card remains inaudible when idle and while it gets louder during more intensive scenarios, it's still within optimal limits.

Power Consumption

Sapphire HD 5770 Flex Edition is powered via one 6-pin power connector, which suggests that it won't consume much. In our case, consumption didn't go over 90W and connecting more displays only increased it up to 5W.

Sapphire 5770 Flex Edition definitely stands out of the crowd in its price range. For less than €100, you get a card that will run three displays with no limitations. When we say limitations, we mean Eyefinity, as it normally limits you to two displays unless you use DisplayPort. Thankfully, HD 5770 Flex Edition didn’t ignore DisplayPort either and, provided you use it of course, you can chain up to four displays on a single card.

AMD recently launched HD 6700 series, although you should know that it’s a simple rename of HD 5700 series with minor improvements. Namely, AMD added HDMI 1.4a and Blu-ray 3D but left the clocks and performance intact. Of course, HD 6770 Flex Edition kept the Eyefinity capabilities as well as the nice cooling solution from the HD 5770 Flex Edition.

The pricing of only €100 makes HD 5770 Flex Edition a really nice deal. All in all, it is a great card that will provide smooth gaming performance up to 1920x1080 and will offer three-display support without using DisplayPort or messing with adapters.

Having provided details earlier, Sapphire today officialy announced its new Radeon HD 6950 FleX Edition graphics card. Featuring completely custom and non-reference PCB and cooler, the new HD 6950 is a part of Sapphire FleX lineup that makes using Eyefinity simple.

As far as specs go, the new card features 1408 Stream processors and works at 800MHz for the GPU and 5000MHz for 2GB of GDDR5 memory paired up with a 256-bit memory interface. The backplate is filled with two DVI ports, two mini DisplayPort and one HDMI output. The story behind the FleX Edition is quite simple as it allows your to connect up to three monitors without going for those expensive active adapters or DisplayPort monitors. You can hook up two to available DVI ports where the third one can be connected to an HDMI port via the bundled adapter.

We couldn't say with certainty last week, but we can now confirm that Sapphire Radeon HD 6950 FleX Edition does indeed come with a dual BIOS switch, so there is at least a chance that you can unlock it. The card is yet to hit retail and the price remains a mystery, for now at least.

We managed to score some information and pictures of Sapphire's yet to be announced HD 6950 FleX Edition card. As you probably already know, Sapphire has been keenly promoting its FleX cards that have "out of the box" support for AMD's Eyefinity.

Although we still don't know if this one will end up at HD 6950 reference clocks or will it be overclocked, we can tell you that this one is as non-reference as it can be. In addition to Sapphire's trademark blue PCB, the new HD 6950 FleX will feature a dual-slot custom cooler with a center placed fan. The backplate features two DVI (one is Single-Link), two mini DisplayPort and one HDMI output.

The story behind the FleX is that you can connect three DVI monitors without buying those fancy DisplayPort monitors or active adapters as two can be connected to the DVI ports and the third goes via supplied HDMI to DVI adapter. The card needs one 8-pin and one 6-pin PCI-Express power connector but we are not sure if Sapphire decided to ditch the "magic" BIOS switch button due to the fact that we are looking at a non-reference PCB.

The card should launch pretty soon and we'll certainly have more details, but until then, you can enjoy those pictures below.

Sapphire has announced its newest HD 5000 series that offers Eyefinity feature but without all the hassle with DisplayPort monitors or adapters, the HD 5770 FleX.

The secret behind this Juniper-based card lies in its single-link DVI connector. To be precise, one of the DVI ports is single-link that can output 1920x1200 resolution while other one is a dual-link and can handle 2560x1600. This leaves you with an option to run up to four monitors at 1920x1200 or two at 2560x1600.

The rest of the specs are pretty standard for an HD 5770 card, so you are looking at a card with 800 Stream processors, GPU clock at 850MHz and 1GB of GDDR5 memory clocked at 4800MHz and paired up with a 128-bit memory interface.

Sapphire has decided to go for a dual-slot cooler with a rather thick copper heatpipe and considering that partners are rolling out single slot HD 5770 cards we are sure that this one will do a pretty good job.

Although Sapphire didn't announce the price of its HD 5770 Flex, it has appeared in e-tail/retail with a listed price set at €205,92.